Improvement in cultivators



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HIRAM VAN METER, OF MACOMB, ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 90,208, dated May 18, 1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIRAM VAN METER, of Maeomb, in the county ofMcDonough, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and improvedCultivator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in theart to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved cultivator, for plowing orcultivating plants which are grown in hills or drills and It consists ina novel construction of the same, as hereinafter fully shown anddescribed, whereby, it is believed, several advantages are obtained overthe ordinary cultivators in use.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings- Figure 1 is a side sectional viewof my invention, taken in the line a: x, fig. 2.

Figure 2, a plan or top view of the same.

Figure 3, a detached view of a part pertaining to the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The frame of the machine is composed of a front cross-bar, A, of iron,bent or otherwise made of such a shape as to have two side-pieces a to,extending back at right angles with the forward part b, as shown in fig.2, the bearings, or boxes 0, for the axles of the wheels B B, beingattached to the rear ends of a a, the wheels having separate orindependent axles.

G O are hounds, also constructed of iron, and firmly attached to thecross-bar A, the draught pole O being secured between the hounds, withits rear end attached to the centre of the forward part b of thecross-barA.

D D'are two bars, constructed of a suitable elastic wood, and havingtheir front ends fitted'in sockets, e e at the ends of the part b of A,and resting on the boxes 0 c.

The rear ends of these bars D D are connected by a cross-bar, cl, whichmay be a piece of plank, and has the drivers seat E secured centrallyupon it.

The draught-pole O has a double-tree, F, attached to it, in the usualmanner.

Tothe under side of the part b, of the front crossbar A, there is firmlysecured a bar, G, which is bent;

or curved, as shown in fig. 3, to form lower bearings for two uprightspindles, H H, the upper bearings being in the part b of the cross-bar.

These spindles are allowed to turn freely in their bearings, audtheirlower parts, below the bar G, are perforated with a series of holes, 0,to admit of the front ends of plow-beams II being secured to them, bypins f, at higher or lower points, as may be desired.

Each plow-beam has two standards, J, attached,

and these standards have teeth, or shares, K, at their lower ends, ofthe usual or any proper shape. On the top of each plow-beam there issecured a stirrup, L, to receive the feet of the driver, and each beamis provided with a handle, M, extending upward sufficiently high to bewithin convenient reach of the driver.

From the above description, it will be seen that the plow-beams may bemoved laterally, to conform to the sinuosities of the rows of plants,either by the feet, or by the hands of the driver, and either or bothplowbeams may be temporarily raised, when required, to admit of theteeth, or shares passing over obstructions.

It will further be seen, that owing to the construction and arrangementof parts as shown and described, quite a large, unobstructed space isallowed within the machine, in front of the driver, which admits of theplants being clearly seen, so that none will be in danger of beingplowed out.

The team, also, can be hitched quite close to the machine, which is anadvantage, as it admits 0f the machine plowing quite near to the ends ofthe rows of plants.

In case the driver prefers walking to riding, the bars D D may bewithdrawn with facility, and full command is then had over the beams.

The teeth, or shares, may be made to plow at a greater or less depth, bysecuring the front ends of the plow-beams at a greater or less height onthe spindles H H.

In consequence of the principal partof the frame a of the machine beingof iron, it is rendered very strong and durable.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1 1. Thecombination of the plow-beams I I, with a cultivator-frame, constructedas shown and described, with the plow-beams attached to the frame, asset forth.

2. The sockets c arranged as described, upon the cross-bar A, wherebythe elastic bars D, of the seat, are adapted to be held upon the framewith their centres resting upon the boxes 0, of the axles, as herein setforth and shown.

HIRAM VAN METER.

Witnesses:

I. W. WESTFALL, J onn D. HALL.

